This Is My Story ~ When Jesus Came Into My Heart

Many years ago, a Baptist preacher and the father of a small boy were speculating what the future might hold for the youngster. The preacher suggested the lad might well have a future as a pastor, for he had noticed how attentive the boy was during church services and seemed to hang onto every word from the pulpit. The father of the boy was a grocery store manager and stated his desire to see the boy follow in his footsteps. Theirs was but a conservation, not an argument, as each had the child’s best interests at heart.

I know this to be true for the father in this story was my dad, Henry Carter and the pastor was reverend Troy Mohan, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Okolona. I may have heard them talking, but I’m not certain I did, and it could be simply the story passed down in my family.

It was during the Okolona years of my childhood, at around nine or ten years of age, that I first experienced the promptings of the Holy Spirt in my heart. In the next few years, I came to understand that God was convicting me of my sin and encouraging me to follow him.

My earliest memories of attending FBC, Pontotoc are of the morning Bible study classes, then called Sunday School and evening classes designed to equip children for the Christian walk. The latter program of study was termed, Training Union.

It was during my second summer of Vacation Bible School at FBC, Pontotoc that I was “invited” to the pastor’s study, a small corner room above the church’s baptistery. I already “had Jesus in my heart” at the time of my conversation with our pastor. I remember we talked of salvation and I was encouraged to make my Christian experience and decision public.

I’m not positive that it was the next Sunday or not, but I think it was the conclusion of a week of revival that I made my decision before the church.  It was “invitation time,” the time when the preacher asks persons who have made a decision to follow Christ to come forward. 

Blanche George was serving as Department Director of the Sunday School age group I was attending. She was standing in the row behind me, as we were singing.  She touched me on my left shoulder and asked me if I was ready.  Perhaps, our pastor had mentioned to her that he had spoken privately to me and others in Bible School. I nodded “Yes,” and stepped from the fourth row, front center, and walked the aisle to be greeted by our Pastor, Brother Tom Douglas. 

Several young people made professions of faith or recommitments that morning.  We were baptized the following Sunday night.

As a new Christian, I had great role models in my teachers and leaders at First Baptist.  Whether in the classroom or in their backyard for a class get together, I always felt loved by them.

Years later, I would have opportunities to work with children in both RAs and choir and to teach children in “Training Union” and to later teach young adults in Bible Study.  That I survived as a teacher/ leader is a testament to the Christ-like examples of those who taught me.

I wish I could say that in my walk with Jesus he has guided me every step of the way, but I have often veered from the pathway he chose for me. Still, as I recount my journey I can see how each time I drifted off course, he worked patiently with me to accomplish his will for my life. One of the truest statements I’ve ever heard is, “life must be lived forward but can only be understood looking backwards.”

I would like to say I’ve never doubted my salvation experience, but the truth is that there were multiple occasions when doubt plagued me. Each time I had doubts, either I searched the Bible for assurance or the Holy Spirit flooded my mind with scripture I had previously learned.

Finally, after reading John 20:30-31, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name,” those words soothed my soul with affirmation of my salvation.

I’m afraid I did not live up to the hopes of either my dad or of the pastor mentioned at the beginning of my story. I did not feel led to become a full-time minister or pastor; neither did I choose to become the manager or owner of a grocery story. I honestly think I could have done either one, especially with the Lord’s help.  However, I did grow in wisdom and stature and in favor of God and man, becoming a leader in the church that I have now been a member of for more than sixty years, and Dad made sure I learned the trade of meat cutting, which served me well and gave me a foothold in the grocery world, first in retail and later at wholesale.

In a sense, both my dad and his pastor were correct. I grew up to serve the Lord, and after my children were born, I settled on a career involving the grocery business. I have to think both men have by now greeted one another in Heaven and each has said to the other, “I told you so.”

wlc "Just and old sinner, saved by grace"